The return of veterans from the Second World War in 1945 coincided with a so-called “crime wave” in Puerto Rico. It was characterized by mutilations with knifes on women who were walking on the streets. Initially, the ones who were responsible for the attacks were veterans who called themselves “The Commandos”. Later though,
the attacks intensified and were propagated by others. Once these aggressions were sensationalized in the press under attacks “al estilo commando”, or “commando style”, a so-called moral panic ensued. Women’s fear of being attacked or publicly victimized on the streets reinforced the patriarchal values of the government and civil society of the time. Meanwhile, gender inequality was ratified and promoted to undermine the broad feminine presence in the public and educational sector.